Main menu

Post navigation

Newcastle United’s Nile Ranger signs for Sheffield Wednesday on loan

Nile Ranger has been given yet another chance by going out on loan to Sheffield Wednesday from Newcastle United.

The troubled striker has been in the headlines for all the wrong reasons and some people may actually know him for his court appearances rather than his time on the football pitch. But the player definitely has the potential to be successful and has actually made over 50 appearances for Newcastle with 24 of them coming in the Premier League. He has only scored three goals for the club though but in his defence most of these appearances have been off the bench where he hasn’t had much time to make an impact on the game. However, one game in particular sticks in my mind where he did have a positive impact on a game. He came on against Liverpool for Newcastle and he bullied their defence leading to a mistake which allowed Newcastle to take the lead.

Ranger signed a new 5 year contract at Newcastle in 2010

Ranger has all the attributes to be a good striker and a consistent goal scorer because he is quick and has a lot of strength, add this to his size and you have a very promising player on your hands and hopefully Dave Jones can change his attitude and give him an opportunity to show his abilities for the rest of the season. Maybe that is all the 20 year old needs, a new start in a new location. When he was on loan to Barnsley he didn’t make as much an impact as he wanted because he got injured after only five games which must have disappointed everyone involved in the transfer.

Even from a young age Ranger was involved in controversy when he was released by Southampton after being sent to a Young Offenders Institute for his part in an armed robbery. But after a successful trial with Newcastle it seemed like he was going to get his career back on track and their relegation to the Championship gave him the opportunity to showcase his talents. But in 2011, he returned to his old ways and was arrested on suspicion of assaulting a man in the city centre leaving the victim unconscious, then a few months later he was charged by police for being drunk and disorderly and was handed a six month conditional discharge.

Ranger has also not used the social network site Twitter in a responsible way as he posed with a gun and was questioned by police for his actions. He then made homophobic remarks which got him in trouble with the FA and had to pay a fine.

This signing seems a little ridiculous in my opinion because he is clearly not someone you want in your dressing room as he seems to attract trouble and media attention of the wrong kind which is exactly what Wednesday don’t need right now as they try and challenge for automatic promotion. Only a few days ago, he was back in court for breaching the terms of his bail.

There is no doubt there is a good player in there and if Wednesday can utilise him properly he could help get the team promoted and it may be beneficial to the player himself. If he grows up, he could become a very useful asset in the Premier League for Newcastle as he does still have three years left on his contract at the club. Time to grow up Nile Ranger and make a name for yourself in the right way.